AirPlay 2: What news and features does it offer?

The WWDC of 2017 presented us with many surprises, both hardware and software level. At its World Conference on Developers, Apple introduced a wealth of features and products that have a close relationship with each other.

First, Apple introduced HomeKit by adding a special section for speakers. Then the company revealed the launch of HomePod , its smart speaker. But before that, the company announced the new AirPlay 2 protocol.

But what is AirPlay 2? How does it work? What's new with this update? In this article we will explain it with all the details.

What is AirPlay?

Before discovering what features AirPlay 2 will offer you, it is important to know what AirPlay is. It is a connectivity system, launched in 2010, that allows users to relay content (audio, video, photos) wirelessly between iPhone, iPad, Mac to Apple TV .

What's new with AirPlay 2?

The main novelty that Apple has introduced in AirPlay 2 is the ability to relay music from your iOS device to more than one product. AirPlay 2 has "multi-room" support , that is, it allows you to send audio to multiple speakers at the same time. A new protocol clearly focused on Apple TV and HomePod.

How does AirPlay 2 work?

As we saw in Apple's WWDC, AirPlay 2 offers the option of relaying music wirelessly to compatible speakers on the same Wi-Fi network. You can define where each of your audio output devices are located by naming them as "Kitchen", or "Room", for example. As long as the speakers are compatible with AirPlay 2, you will have the opportunity to connect speakers of different brands through this system. A system that will give you greater versatility in the products you want to use when setting up your "multi-room" system.

This is AirPlay, a wireless connectivity service for Apple Music, Apple TV, HomeKit, iOS 11, tvOS, macOS and HomePod. What do you think of AirPlay 2? What functions would you add to the system?